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Special Education

News & Announcements

Parent Training Opportunity – Critical Decision Points for Families of Children with Disabilities

These free, four-hour long trainings are designed for parents of children with disabilities who are currently eligible or being considered for services under the criteria set forth in the Individuals with Disabilities Education Improvement Act (IDEA 2004) implementing regulations or the implementing regulations of Section 504 of the Rehabilitation Act of 1973 and for people with disabilities. Go to Parent Training Opportunities for more information and to register for the October 2018-January 2019 events.

December 14 is the Deadline to Complete the 2017-2018 School Year Parent Survey

In addition to the "bubble sheet" survey distributed to each parent of a child with a disability through school divisions, families have the opportunity to complete an online survey available in an English Version or Spanish Version. Families who have more than one child receiving special education services should complete the online survey as it applies to each of their children with special needs.

Survey responses will be used to determine the “percent of parents with a child receiving special education services who report that schools facilitated parent involvement as a means of improving services and results for children with disabilities” within each school division.

Professional Development

Academy for Aspiring Special Education Leaders – a yearlong program that includes a three-day workshop in August followed by monthly, two-day seminars, observations, assignments and field experiences. For more information, see Special Education Leadership Academies.

The Individuals with Disability Education Act (IDEA) guarantees a free appropriate public education to all eligible children with disabilities. The steps in the special education process include:

Identification and referral

Evaluation

Determination of eligibility

Development of an individualized education program (IEP) and
determination of services

Reevaluation

There are timelines schools must follow for each step. Timelines help to prevent any delay. Procedural safeguards, which are rights given to the parents of a child with a disability and the child upon reaching the age of majority (age 18), ensure that the child is provided a free appropriate public education according to the Federal and State rules. The services and placement of students with disabilities who need special education, are developed through an IEP, which is the responsibility of local public school divisions. The Federal and State definition of special education and specially designed instruction are:

"Special education" means specially designed instruction, at no cost to the parent(s), to meet the unique needs of a child with a disability, including instruction conducted in a classroom, in the home, in hospitals, in institutions, and in other settings and instruction in physical education. The term includes each of the following if it meets the requirements of the definition of special education: (§ 22.1-213 of the Code of Virginia; 34 CFR 300.39)

Speech-language pathology services or any other related service, if the service is considered special education rather than a related service under state standards;

Vocational education; and

Travel training.

"Specially designed instruction" means adapting, as appropriate to the needs of an eligible
child, the content, methodology, or delivery of instruction: (34 CFR 300.39(b)(3))

To address the unique needs of the child that result from the child's disability; and

To ensure access of the child to the general curriculum, so that the child can meet the educational standards that apply to all children within the jurisdiction of the local educational agency.